ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · march · current · mug · suit · wind · rash · face

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — a series
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — the month
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com